La Fleur
by snapesapothecary
Summary: Shuu Tsukiyama has eyes set on a human, and he won't stop until he gets what he wants.
1. Purple Lilac

**Author's Note** : At the moment I have no idea how long this series will be, but we'll see where it takes me. :)

* * *

It was another rainy spring day. Though there was a light drizzle, Aster shivered at how cold it was outside. She regretted only throwing on a sweater before she left her apartment. As she rushed past people on the sidewalk, she couldn't avoid all the rain puddles, and unfortunately, splashed water all over her legs. She groaned in annoyance.

Aster was very eager to get a good seat at the coffee shop before the place started to get crowded. She slowed down as she encountered an elderly woman shuffling forward with her cane. She fought with herself on whether to keep up the slow her pace or to cut around the old lady. And in a split second Aster decided to squeeze around the woman, only to bump into high school boy's shoulder. Which caused her to be shoved into a nearby lilac tree. Aster almost dropped her umbrella, but she got a grip on it before it fell to the ground.

"Hey watch it!" the kid snapped.

"Ugh, jerk," she grumbled under her breath, glaring at his back. Aster emerged from under the small tree's branches and fixed her hair. She brushed off the tiny purple flowers that coated her cardigan, when she noticed a scrape on the back of her hand. She was lucky though, the scrape didn't break the skin all the way through for it to bleed. She touched it lightly and sighed. _I'm not off to a good start_ , she thought. Aster looked up at the crosswalk light down the block, it started to blink. She jogged down the street to catch the light before it changed.

– – – – –

Aster gave herself a moment to catch her breath, she swooped her dark brown hair back behind her ears and flattened her bangs. She closed her umbrella and shook off the extra water before stepping into the cafe. To her surprise, it was still empty. _Probably because of the weather_. _Which means I hurried here for no reason,_ she thought. As Aster walked to the back corner table, she noticed the usual boy with glasses working behind the counter. He was busy drying dishes.

Nishiki, watched from over his glasses as the short girl took her seat.

Aster set her brown bag down on the table and looked outside at the overcast sky.

"Hey old man can you cover me for a second?" Nishiki called out to the owner. Aster looked up to see the boy disappear into the back room. She went back to staring outside.

Twenty seconds later, a tall elderly man with slicked back grey hair appeared through a small side door. Yoshimura looked at Aster. _Ah, she's the new human that's been coming in for past two weeks straight,_ he thought.

"I see you've taken a liking to our coffee shop. You've come by everyday," Yoshimura said in a smooth voice.

"Huh?" Aster looked away from the window and at the old man. "Oh...yeah," she blushed. Aster was not used to having people notice her. She smoothed out a wrinkle in her purple dress, "Well you guys have a medium blend that I really like."

"My name is Yoshimura. What can I get for you Miss?"

"Just a coffee," she smiled at him.

" _Just_ a coffee?" he tilted his head.

"Yes." Suddenly, Aster's stomach emitted a loud growl. Her dark brown eyes widened and she hunched over in her seat sheepishly. She knew for a fact the man heard it too.

Yoshimura let out a laugh, "May I get you anything to eat?"

"Uhhh, no. Just the coffee..." her stomach let out another small rumble. She felt her cheeks getting hot.

"Are you sure?" he smiled down at her sympathetically.

"I am. Anyway, coffee usually curbs my appetite," she smiled nervously.

Yoshimura shot her a sharp look, analyzing her.

Aster swallowed nervously, another noise erupted from her stomach.

His face softened and his brown eyes gave her a questioning look.

She sighed. "You got me...But right now, I'm flat broke," she said in a bitter tone. Aster pulled out her text book and notebook. "So, I'll stick to the coffee."

Yoshimura let the girl get to work and walked away without pushing her any further.

Five minutes later, a hot cup of coffee and a small plate of finger sandwiches were placed on her table. "Uhhh. I didn't order this–" Aster looked up at Yoshimura.

"Consider this on the house."

"But–"

He interrupted her again, "It's okay. I'm the owner of this cafe."

Her eyes widened, she didn't expect the owner to be serving her.

"Consider this a thank you for your loyal patronage."

Aster felt a sharp pang of sadness, she was hungry enough where she felt like she was going to cry. She took a deep breath, and thanked him very quietly for the kind gesture.

Yoshimura smiled down at her. The door opened and the tiny bell rang, signaling a new customer.

"AH! Is my sweet Kaneki in today?" Aster heard a light, flamboyant voice ask.

She and Yoshimura looked up to see a tall, purple haired young man standing by the doorway.

Aster saw that the man was wearing a white suit. _That's rather ballsy, seeing as white dirties quickly. And why white? I've rarely seen that in fashion these days..._ she thought. Other than his attire, she found his light violet eyes rather striking too.

"I'm afraid he is not in today, Shuu," said Yoshimura.

"Ahhh, what a tragedy," Shuu said a bit crestfallen. "Alas, my search continues," he sighed. Shuu glanced at Aster, a twinkle in his eye.

Aster felt her heart skip a beat when the beautiful man looked at her. For as overdramatic as he acted, she still found him charming.

"Why, mademoiselle! _You_ wouldn't happen to know where my friend Kaneki is today?" his lips curled into a sly smile.

Aster noticed Yoshimura tense up, he didn't budge from his spot in front of her. The two men were staring each other down, the atmosphere between them made the room feel heavy. Before she could answer, Yoshimura spoke up. "I'm afraid she wouldn't know how to help you. Now Shuu, if that is all that I can assist you with today...Shouldn't you be on your way?" Aster thought the owner was being a bit rude for cutting off the man so suddenly.

Shuu looked away from Yoshimura and back at her, his eyes dancing across her features.

Aster could tell he was subtly trying to charm her. It had been quite awhile since a man directly displayed interest in her, and she felt a bit embarrassed to be put on the spot. Though Shuu wasn't the type of man Aster thought she'd ever go for, she couldn't help but wonder what type man her really was.

"Sorry to intrude Yoshimura. I'll be on my way," he bowed his head and turned around towards the door. But before he left, Shuu poked his head through the door frame and winked at her. "Au revoir, ma belle! And if you should hear anything about my Kaneki, be sure to let me know." The door shut closed.

Yoshimura turned around, a small frown on his face. "I apologize, Shuu is always a handful when he visits."

"Uh, that's okay," Aster said, still unsure of how to interpret the peculiar conversation.

"Anyway, please come see me before you leave today, alright?"

"Huh, what for?" she asked puzzled.

"I want to run an idea by you."

– – – – –

Across the street, Shuu stopped on the opposite corner of the cafe, where he could still make out the young woman's profile.

From what he could see, the small woman looked like she'd make a nice appetizer. He took a deep breath and recalled the faint smell of spring she gave off when he was inside the coffee shop.

Shuu could tell she wasn't native to Japan, she looked more European if anything, with her light brown skin and dark brown hair. He wondered why Yoshimura seemed a bit more territorial with the human than most. "Hmm maybe she has closer ties with him than it appears," he whispered to himself.

Shuu turned the corner when he noticed Aster move her head to look out the window. _This complicates things_ , he thought. He marched in the direction of a local bookstore where he thought his precious half ghoul might be. Along the way, Shuu continued to ponder how he felt towards the new human.

– – – – –

Aster leaned up against the counter. "So, what is that you wanted to talk to me about?"

Yoshimura gestured her to step behind the counter. "Step into my office, Miss–uh, your name?" he turned around to look at her.

"Aster," she continued to follow him into a small side office.

"Okay," he slowly sat down on a black chair behind a desk. Aster sat at the open seat across from him. "Aster, how would you feel if I let you work here at Anteiku?"

"What? Are you offering me a job?" she asked in disbelief, leaning forward in the chair.

Yoshimura chuckled, "Yes."

"Seriously?"

"You seem like a hard worker. And I can tell you need a bit of help to get by with pursuing your studies. I'd like to help you out, if that's okay?" he smiled at her.

"Okay? It's more than okay. I love coffee. And I love this shop. When can I start work?" Aster gripped the straps of her bag, not believing how her day was turning around.

"How about tomorrow, if you're eager to get straight to it?"

"I can do tomorrow!" She stood up, and extended her hand, "Uh, thank you, sir." She felt a bit awkward not knowing how he wanted to be addressed.

"Perfect," he laughed. "And call me Mr. Yoshimura," he shook her hand, "Stop by around 6 pm, that's when things slow down and we can start your basic training."

"I'll be here tomorrow. Oh, and you'll probably even see me stop by in the morning before class, for a cup of coffee too."

Yoshimura nodded and escorted her out of his office. Aster turned to give a short wave good bye to the owner before the door. He waved her out.

Nishiki watched the exchange between the two, and walked up to Yoshimura when the door closed. "What was that about?"

"That was our new hire," he smiled at Nishiki.

"Huh? A human?" he asked quietly concerned.

The old man nodded his head firmly.

"Are you sure about this Mr. Yoshimura?"

"It'll be fine Nishiki. Not to worry," he patted the young boy on the shoulder.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : I believe that someone like Shuu's character would appreciate flowers. I think it is also fitting that he would know the language of flowers and the hidden meanings behind them. After each chapter I'll include the special meaning behind the chapter title, if you want to brush up on your flower symbolism. Purple lilacs symbolize first emotions of love, which are tied to how the flowers are one of the earliest to bloom during spring. Lilacs have a strong association with love throughout history.


	2. Forsythia

**Author's Note** : YAY! Chapter 2!

* * *

Three days had passed before Aster ran into Shuu Tsukiyama again.

Since she was new to the Anteiku staff, Aster quickly buddied up with Kaneki. She learned that he was nice to everyone, but it helped that he was the first to initiate in getting to know her. When Aster first met Kaneki, her mind went back to the brief meeting she had with Shuu. She thought about how he winked at her, and how she still couldn't get over his beautifully haunting eyes. Granted, Aster didn't bring up the encounter to Kaneki because she figured she'd never actually see the purple haired man again. However, her assumption was quickly proven wrong.

– – – – –

One afternoon, Kaneki and Aster were looking through the university's library for books. Kaneki was searching for contemporary Japanese authors for an essay. Aster was killing time by looking up books on flowers, she didn't have any projects for her classes just yet. She was hoping to find pictures to use as reference for when she had free time to to paint. Her search led her towards the back of the library on the third floor. The floor was pretty quiet and there was a large window that let in plenty of natural light.

Aster was kneeling on the floor, hunched over, looking more closely at the titles so she could read the tiny print. A small, thick book caught her eye. She pulled it off the shelf, and in that exact moment she saw a shadow loom over her. Aster looked up in shock. Her eyes trailed from black leather shoes, up long legs, to none other than the face of Tsukiyama.

Her heart was pounding, Aster didn't even hear, let alone see anything out of the corner of her eye. It was like Shuu had appeared out of thin air. She drew back looking at him questioningly.

He was especially tall with how he loomed over her. She debated on whether to stand up.

"Mon cheri," Shuu greeted, then squatted down to her level, "What, pray tell, are you doing on the floor?"

Aster put the book down on the pile next to her. She stared at him, thinking it was rather obvious what she was doing.

When he didn't say anything for a few seconds she replied, "Looking for books."

"Hmmm you and Kaneki seem to be cut from the same cloth..." he glanced down at her selection of books. "Oh how fitting. My beautiful flower is checking out the _Language of Flowers_."

Aster glanced at the cover, then back at Shuu.

Shuu smiled and picked up her hand. Aster's hand twitched but he held it steady, her eyes locked with his. "Though if you want such knowledge...then no need to look further than right here. I know the vast vocabulary and symbolism of flowers when it comes to love." He pecked the back of her hand, then quickly let her hand slip away.

Aster narrowed her eyes, trying to make out why Shuu was acting this way towards her. "Is there something you wanted," she rubbed the back of her hand subconsciously, "Uhhh, it's Shuu? Right?"

Aster heard him take a quick short breath when she said his name, like he was caught off guard. "Oui Madam. And may I ask for your beautiful name?"

She blinked, "Aster."

"Aster..." he said slowly, like he was savoring the last of a glass of wine. "Well, Aster...I was hoping if–"

"WHAT are _you_ doing here?" Kaneki's voice cut in, he was standing a couple feet behind Shuu.

Shuu quickly stood up, so did Aster. She wondered why Kaneki was acting so surprised to see the man.

Kaneki swiftly marched up to the two of them.

"Ah! Sweet Kaneki, I knew you were here," Shuu sang.

Kaneki ignored him and looked at Aster, "He hasn't been bothering you Aster, has he?" He put a hand on her shoulder, a look of concern on his face.

Aster looked at Kaneki then back at Shuu.

Shuu put a hand up to his face in mock surprise at the insinuation, "Moi?"

"Nooo...not really," she said slowly, turning to look back at Kaneki. "Should he have been?"

Kaneki sighed then turned toward Shuu. "What do you want Shuu? Does it have something to do with me?"

"Kaneki, Kaneki, Kaneki..." he tsked shaking his head. "I don't know why you're so worked up right now. Maybe it's because you secretly missed me?" he asked hopefully, with a twinkle in his eye.

Kaneki frowned and folded his arms, "No."

Shuu smirked. "Well, Kaneki, either way I'm sorry to disappoint you... But I came to see Aster as a matter of fact," he turned and smiled at her.

"I don't believe it..." Kaneki mumbled shooting him a weary glare.

"Hmmm. Well, you got me. Technically it's partially true... I just happened to run into her first." Shuu turned to look at her, "Aster?"

"Uh, yeah?" she asked nervously. She racked her brain trying to figure out what in the world Shuu would want from her.

"Would you do me the pleasure and go out with me sometime for coffee?"

Kaneki's eyes widened in disbelief.

Aster raised her eyebrows, she wasn't expecting to be asked out. "What? Wait–what for?" _Is this a joke? Is he making fun of me?_ she thought.

"What for, you ask? Why, to get to know you better, my sweet. I want to learn more about you..." Shuu stepped closer to her.

Kaneki went rigid.

Shuu approached her close enough where she could see the dark pupils of his eyes. Aster felt her breathing pick up. It pained her to admit, but she loved looking up at his amethyst colored eyes.

"I want to know who you are, what you like, what you hate, what keeps you up at night..." his eyes seemed to darken slightly.

Aster tilted her head to the side, "As in..." she swallowed, "a date?"

Shuu's lips pursed together in a small smile. He delicately moved back a lock of her hair that had fallen out of place. "Oui. A date."

She quickly patted down the hair he moved aside. "Um..." her mind raced to think of a reason why she wouldn't want to go. She was coming up blank. Aster couldn't really think of a reason to say no. But she knew Kaneki and Yoshimura both acted like Shuu wasn't to be taken lightly. She figured she'd just have to remain extra cautious around him.

"Okay," she blurted. Her answer though, registered a second too late. She tried to calm down and act nonchalant. "I like coffee, so I can't really say no." She smiled at Shuu.

Kaneki opened his mouth like he was going to say something then stopped.

Shuu looked at Kaneki, "As to my other order of business... Kaneki, I wanted to know if you still were thinking about attending my dinner party?"

"No," he snapped.

Shuu sighed. "Alas, I was hoping you would say yes. However, you still have plenty of time to change your mind." Shuu bent down and collected Aster's books. He handed them to her, "Here mon cheri."

"Oh, thank you."

"Are you done Aster?" asked Kaneki.

"Uhhh, yeah. I have enough books to last me for the week."

"Alright, let's get going." Kaneki turned around, leading the way.

She followed after him.

Shuu walked along side her, "What time are you free tomorrow?"

"Well," she pulled the books tighter against her chest, "I have class until three tomorrow, and I don't work. So...anytime after three?"

"I'll pick you up at three o'clock then," he smiled down at her.

"Okay. You can meet me by the fountain. Shuu, where are you thinking of taking me?" They started walking down the flight of stairs to the first floor. He matched her pace evenly down the steps.

"Oh this quaint little cafe near the train station. Do you like macarons?"

"Do I?" her she asked, perking up at the mention of the sweets. "Yes, I like macarons," Aster smiled.

"Well, the cafe has an exquisite selection."

When they finally reached the check out desk, Kaneki went first. He watched the two of them from of the corner of his eye. He was also subtly listening to their entire conversation.

"So, you and Kaneki attend the same university. Are you in the same classes as well?" Shuu asked.

"Uh no. I'm a year ahead of Kaneki actually." She placed down her books on the counter when Kaneki stepped aside. The librarian silently scanned her books.

"Ahhh...the older woman," Shuu teased.

Aster chuckled and gathered her books, stuffing them in her bag. They walked to towards the exit.

Kaneki let out a sigh, "I think we should hurry back Aster...it looks like it's going to rain." He opened the door and they stepped outside.

Aster looked up at the dark grey sky, "Of course! I go against my better judgment and leave my umbrella at home," she groaned.

Shuu looked up at the sky as well, out of the corner of his eye he saw the impatient look Kaneki shot him.

Suddenly, it started to drizzle.

Kaneki looked at Aster, "If we run now, we can avoid getting soaked." He nodded at Shuu, "We'll see you around Shuu."

Shuu narrowed his eyes, thinking of some sort of excuse to get Aster to stay a bit longer.

"Ready?" Kaneki asked, grabbing her hand.

"Ugh. I really don't want to run–"

"Wait," Shuu interrupted. He unbuttoned his black blazer and draped it over Aster's head.

She looked up at him in surprise, "Ummm are you sure? This looks like a very expensive blazer..."

Shuu shook his head, "It's fine. Anything for a sweet lady such as yourself."

She felt her face getting warm.

Kaneki squeezed Aster's hand. "Don't worry, we'll be out of the rain in no time. See you Shuu!" He pulled her arm, dragging Aster into the rain after him.

Aster quickened her pace to keep from tripping, she looked over her shoulder and shouted, "Bye Shuu! See you tomorrow!"

Shuu watched them run out the gates until they disappeared from sight. Normally, he would have called for his driver to come and pick him up, but Shuu was feeling oddly sentimental. So, he decided to walk all the way back to his place in the rain. He replayed the entire afternoon's events in his head.

– – – – – –

Shuu unbuttoned his long sleeve shirt, hung it on the back of his chair and laid down on his bed. Though he always put in some amount of work before all of his meals, acquiring Aster was going to be a bit more complicated. The good news was that things were off to a smooth start with her.

Kaneki, though, proved that he wasn't going to make his pursuit of Aster any easier. The young boy was more defensive with him than usual, which broke his heart. The only thing that made up for Kaneki's cold attitude was his conversation with Aster.

Shuu closed his eyes and recalled the tiniest of details about her. He remembered the softness of her dark wavy hair, the tiny pink bruise on her leg (which he noticed when he bent down to pick up her books), the softness of her skin against his lips, the way her voice pitched up when he mentioned macarons, her taste in books...

He licked his lips. _Hmmm maybe she isn't an appetizer after all. She's sweet enough that I should save her for dessert_ , he thought.

– – – – –

Aster unpacked her books onto the floor, next to her mattress. She picked up and examined the cover of the flower dictionary. She traced her fingers across the small yellow flowers, she didn't recognize the type of flower. Aster then tossed the book aside and fell back onto her bed.

Her mind wandered back to Shuu and how he lent her his jacket. Though she didn't manage to stay completely dry, it was a lot better than nothing. Aster got up and pulled the blazer off the hanger she hung it on to dry. She brought it up to her nose and smelled it.

It smelled faintly of expensive cologne and rain water. It had been a while since Aster had been intimate with a man, and the smell provoked a small fire in the pit of her stomach.

Aster put the blazer back on the hanger, then hooked it on the back of her doorknob. She wouldn't be able to return it to Shuu tomorrow. She'd have to take his blazer to the dry cleaners before she could properly give it back. Aster touched the hem of the sleeve, she felt really anxious about her date. So, to ease her nerves, she decided to distract herself by picking out an outfit for the next day.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Forsythia symbolizes the feeling of anticipation. Before the flowers bloom, the plant looks like a bunch of ordinary green stems. When it is in season, yellow bell-shaped flowers spring forth. Victorians often waited in anticipation to see these flowers bloom, which is where it derived it's meaning.


	3. Ivy Sprig of White Tendrils

**Author's Note** : Thanks for being patient, here's chapter 3.

* * *

Aster spotted Shuu from afar fairly quickly. His maroon cashmere sweater and fitted navy blue dress pants stood out, compared to the tired looking students walking around campus still in their pajamas. He looked like a chic model, sitting down at the edge of the water fountain, legs crossed and hands leaned back behind him as he watched the clouds.

Aster swallowed nervously, and slowly walked her way towards Shuu. As she got closer, Aster noticed how some of the female students couldn't help but be captivated by Shuu too. Some girls were stealing side glances, while others were not so subtly swooning and snapping photos. Shuu seemed too lost in his own world to notice.

As it was a partly windy day, Shuu could easily smell Aster before he set eyes on her. He slowly turned his head to the left, his eyes landing on the petite girl. He curled his lips into a smile.

Aster gave a short wave, and quickened her pace.

Shuu stood up and greeted her, "Ah, what a lovely scene to behold."

She blushed and stopped right in front of Shuu, catching herself before she bumped into him.

"You look marvelous, my dear Aster."

Aster timidly looked up at Shuu, leaned in, and snaked her arms around his middle. "Thank you," she murmured. She felt a little bit silly for feeling so nervous from just giving a hug, but Aster couldn't stop her heart from pounding. Shuu was very charismatic, and since it was a date, she felt obliged to put forth a bit of charm herself.

Shuu's body went rigid for a fraction of a second. He took a deep quiet breath when he felt Aster's arms suddenly wrap around him. On the inside, his mind was screaming with delight. _The little lamb is practically begging me to eat her_ , he thought as he embraced her back. Shuu was grateful Aster was looking the other way, because he couldn't stop a wide smirk from forming on his face. He petted the top of her head warmly, and when he finally let her go, Shuu had quickly recomposed himself.

Aster took a few steps back, eyeing him up and down.

Shuu detected the underlying lust in her gaze. It made his insides crave for her more and more.

"You don't look bad yourself," she complimented with a smile.

"Shall we get going?" he asked gesturing forward. She nodded and Shuu led the way off campus.

"What a nice day we have," Aster said happily. She looked up at the sky, and then at all the students who were walking around, taking advantage of the nice weather. The past couple days had been gloomy and wet.

"It's because your smile has pushed away the rain clouds mon ange," he smiled sweetly at her.

Aster didn't think it was possible, but even in the sunlight, Shuu's amethyst colored eyes glittered more brightly. She scolded herself mentally, _Stop romanticizing the man, you've only just met him_.

– – – – –

Twenty minutes later, and they finally reached the small coffee shop. The cafe was called Primavera, according to the sign that hung above the door. The sign was framed by a tiny white floral design along the border.

Shuu held the door open, and Aster entered.

Immediately, Aster spotted an open table by the window. She sped up her pace to claim it. But before she could grab her seat, Shuu put his hand on the back of her shoulder to stop her. "Allow me," he cooed, and pulled out her chair.

She sat down and thanked him.

He took his seat across from her. Shuu stared at Aster. His attentive gaze made her mind go blank, she felt award, not knowing where to start the conversation. However, before she could get a word out of her mouth, a waitress appeared and dropped down the menus onto their table.

"I'll give you two a minute to look things over," said the waitress. She had an obnoxiously high pitched voice that almost sounded fake.

Aster watched the tall lanky girl walk way, then looked down at the menu. As she read the small print, she could feel Shuu's eyes on her. She nervously rubbed her collar bone. She wondered if it was a good idea to wear her off the shoulder sweater today, it somehow made her feel more exposed than usual.

"So mon chérie, what do you study at the university? Are you in the same program as Kaneki?"

"Uh, no. I'm studying English literature," she peeked up at him, then looked back at the dessert section of the menu. There was a long list of macaron flavors, she bit her bottom lip trying to decide which one to choose. Aster took a moment to think about what to ask Shuu. "Uh. You don't appear to be in university anymore Shuu..." She looked up at him, "What do you do?"

"Oh, I help out with the family business. My father owns a corporation, so I'm stuck in meetings a lot of the time when I'm working. When I do have free time, I like going out with pretty ladies such as yourself." He tilted his head and winked.

"Ladies? Hmmm..." Aster narrowed her eyes slightly, "I take it then that you go on a lot of dates?" She wanted to size up just how much of a serial dater he was.

"Oh my dear sweetheart," he shook his head slightly, then stared into her eyes. "Only those who capture my heart get a second date," he cooed. _The others I eat.._. he thought darkly.

Aster quirked her brow then smiled at his clever answer.

"Are you two ready to order?" the waitress interrupted.

They both looked at the waitress, Shuu nodded for her to go first. "After you, Aster."

Caught off guard she stumbled, "Uh-um... I'll have a caramel macchiato. And c-can I try the coconut macarons?"

The waitress turned to look at Shuu, he handed both their menus to her. "A medium coffee," he said smoothly. When the waitress was out of earshot, Shuu looked back at Aster, "Just the one? You could have ordered more..."

Aster blinked.

"You said you liked macarons, did you not? No need to hold back. I've got the check covered," he winked.

"Oh–uhhh yeah?" She felt her cheeks turning pink."Well, if they're good, maybe I'll get more..." she mumbled quietly.

Shuu chuckled, "Aster, you're so cute."

Aster laughed along with him, not knowing how else to take his compliment. She took a sharp breath and composed herself, "Shuu..."

Shuu stopped laughing and perked up.

Her face turned a bit more serious, "Do–do you... do you fall in love easily?"

His eyes widened at the sudden personal question.

Aster looked down at the table, then back at Shuu. "You see, you strike me as someone who travels wherever the wind takes him..." She swallowed, and waited apprehensively to hear his answer.

Shuu blinked, still taken aback by her serious tone. He studied her closely then carefully answered, "I must confess... I fall in love with all things beautiful. When I feel my heart get flooded with intense emotions, I pursue whatever it may be that makes my heart ache."

He saw Aster roll her eyes and sigh quietly.

"BUT–" Shuu paused.

Aster looked up at him skeptically, but still interested.

"That doesn't change the fact that my feelings are any less real... Everything I go after, I go after with passion and an open heart." Shuu leaned in closer, "I beg of you, please don't peg me as someone who wastes time with frivolous love... I chase love that promises intensity, a love that makes me feel like my body is being swallowed by fire."

Aster tilted her head, she wasn't expecting such a dramatic answer. "Hmmm. So when you fall in love... you don't–" she paused thinking how to phrase her question.

"I don't...?" Shuu repeated, waiting for her to continue.

"How are you so sure about your feelings? How do you know that you're not wrong or that you won't be rejected?" she blurted out.

He smiled softly at Aster, "They're feelings, so if I feel them, then they must be real. And if I am rejected..." Shuu shifted, propping his face in his hand and leaning his elbow on the table. His eyes glimmered, "Well, heartbreak is not easy, but it has taught me many things."

"Hmm. I don't know if I could ever think like that..." Aster said quietly. A minute of silence settled between the two before Aster shook her head and apologized, "Sorry, I took the conversation to serious place. Let's talk about something more lighthearted..."

Shuu picked up on her anxiety and changed the subject. "Do you have any hobbies ma petite fleur?"

"Let's see... reading, painting, writing... going to the movies. I'm not a very outdoorsy person as you can obviously tell. What hobbies do you enjoy?"

"Me? Well, I enjoy music, fashion, art... flower arranging." He paused then smiled, "Oh! And fine dining of course."

The waitress then arrived with their orders. "Here you are," she bowed swiftly and left.

Aster took a sip of her coffee, eyeing Shuu as she swallowed. "So Shuu..." she delicately placed the cup back down on the saucer.

He raised his eyebrows, and drank his coffee quietly.

She sighed, "Another serious question...but I have to ask it. However, you can choose not to answer..."

Shuu looked at her, mentally preparing himself for the worst. _I haven't slipped up anywhere have I?_

"Are...are you involved," she lowered her voice, "in some shady side business?"

"What, why?" he asked drawing back in surprise. "What springs this on?" Shuu figured it was best to keep up an innocent act until he figured out exactly what she knew. He prayed his sweet flower didn't discover his true eating habits. Shuu picked up a macaroon and took a bite of it. He licked his lips, then put the other half back on her plate.

Aster swallowed, feeling distracted from his teasing. Shuu looked rather erotic when he licked his lips, and she cursed herself for liking it. "Well, boss Yoshimura and Kaneki..." She took another sip of her coffee, "They seem to be tense around you, like you're involved in the mafia..." Her eyes widened, she leaned in a little closer, "Wait are you _really_ in the mafia?" she whispered.

Shuu started to chuckle, then burst out into a loud roar of laughter. "Oh my dear, you are so funny. Moi? Do I look like I would even survive in the mafia?" He laughed for another minute, then settled back down. "Besides, if I was in the mafia..." he leaned forward and whispered in a silky voice, "would I _really_ tell you?"

Aster blinked, and stared into his eyes. She slowly leaned back in her chair and picked up the half eaten macaron. "Hmm. touché," then put the rest of it in her mouth and ate it.

Shuu savored watching Aster eat, taking in her lips as she chewed then trailing his eyes down her throat as she swallowed. "Mmmm. Good, is it not, my sweet?"

She blushed and rolled her eyes. "Never mind. I get it." She sighed, "I was being a complete idiot."

"Oh mon chéri. Do not reprimand yourself. It was quite cute." He felt relieved having diverted her of any suspicions she might have thought.

Aster took another drink from her coffee. "I'm sorry again, Shuu. But... you're not exactly a normal guy..." she looked to the side awkwardly.

"Oh?"

"Yeah... you're a bit weird."

He gave a slight pout, "Is that a necessarily a bad thing?"

"No..." she blushed bashfully, "you're actually lucky. I like weird."

– – – – –

On their walk back to Aster's apartment (which Shuu insisted he escort her back to until she said yes) they walked linked together, arm in arm. Aster thought how it had been a while since someone was this attentive to wooing her. All the guys she had seen didn't come close to being as considerate as Shuu.

When they arrived at the complex, Shuu stopped in his tracks, recognizing the place immediately. "I didn't know you and Kaneki lived in the same building."

"Oh yeah, I just recently moved here. He helped me out with getting situated." Aster looked up at Shuu, then pulled him up the staircase to the second floor. When they were outside her door, Aster let go of Shuu and rummaged to find for her keys in her bag.

"Shuu, oh, I'm sorry I can't return your blazer that you let me borrow. I still haven't taken it to the dry cleaners..." she pulled out her keys.

"No. No, not to worry. I'll take it off your hands now. Don't worry about taking it to the cleaners."

"But, are you sure–"

He put a finger to her lips to stop her, "I am absolutely sure mademoiouselle."

"Alright... if you insist," she mumbled against his finger. She turned away and fumbled with putting the key into the lock, "Then you can come inside and I'll quickly grab it for you." They walked through the door, and in no less than a second Aster scurried out of sight.

Aster practically ran into her bedroom. She completely forgot that she fell asleep wearing his coat, and left it with the blankets on her mattress. She snatched it and quickly inspected it. Aster was thankful there were no visible wrinkles, and ran back to meet Shuu at the door.

"You ran away so fast... I thought I had scared you," he smirked devilishly.

"Scared me?" she laughed, "You? No." She handed Shuu his blazer, "Here you go."

"Thank you."

"No, uh, thank you for lending it to me."

Shuu looked her over, and leaned casually against the door frame, "Listen ma petite fleur, I know this was our first date. But please allow me to take you out to dinner, on a _proper_ first date."

Aster's eyes widened in excitement at his forward proposal.

"I only asked you for coffee because I didn't want to intimidate you on our first meeting... So, I'd like to make it up to you," he stepped forward and grabbed her wrist so fast, that all she saw was a blur. He kissed the back of her hand and looked down at her with pleading eyes, "Allow me to plan a romantic evening you'll never forget."

"Okay," she said feeling captivated by his dramatic gesture and intense stare. He lowered her hand, which snapped Aster out of her daze. "Oh! I'll give you my number then," she pulled out her phone and opened up an empty contact. She handed it to Shuu. He took it, and entered in his information. Aster grabbed it back when he was finished, and sent a message to him.

Shuu's phone buzzed.

"There, now you have my number," she smiled.

Shuu looked at his phone. The text read: _I look forward to our date :)_

"You won't be disappointed," he smirked.

Aster grabbed the door handle, "Goodbye Shuu."

"Goodbye my dear Aster!" he gave a short wave then left.

– – – – –

Shuu was practically dying on his bedroom floor. The scent of Aster was all over his blazer and he felt like he was on cloud nine. Shuu took a whiff at the collar, "Ohhhhhhhh absolutely divine. Ab–so–lute–ly di–vine! Oh my sweet!" he gasped, his eyes rolling back in glee.

Shuu needed more. He rolled over onto his side, his brain starting to concoct a plan to get ahold of Aster's blood. If he could do it with Kaneki, he could could do it again with Aster. "Hmmmm. What to do, what to do, what to doooo..." he groaned in agony.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Ivy Sprig of White Tendrils (which shouldn't be mistaken for Ivy) in the language of flowers means anxious to please and show affection.


End file.
